


Test & Recognize

by Makowo



Series: Dangansona [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Persona Series
Genre: Angst, Chapter 5-6 Danganronpa 1 spoilers, Holds Outdated Information On The AU, Internal Conflict, Mind Rape, Other, Religious Symbolism, Their Personas barely appear in this, Violence, a bit of horror, mostly because I can’t write action and I don’t have all the designs finished
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-11-05 02:18:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17910110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Makowo/pseuds/Makowo
Summary: She didn’t think there could be a worse outcome. She was wrong. So very wrong.(Makoto experiences a betrayal, and is pushed over his limit. No one is happy, except the mastermind with a job well done.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> https://discord.gg/JdJmJhg  
> Discord link

They can’t find Makoto.

 

It was just after the fake trial, everyone knew it was faked. That body was already dead, but they voted for him anyways. Monokuma, the mastermind mocks them. He laughs and laughs and laughs, watching them drown in their despair.

 

_Cowards._

 

Kyoko goes down the garbage chute. She guessed that he had probably been sent down there to rot. She was a bit scared, of what she’d find. The best outcome she thought would be him alive and unharmed, just waiting for rescue. The worst...

 

his _body, bones broken and somehow barely hanging to life. She runs to him, and she confesses her love to him and he only gives a look of pure hatred and betrayal and on his dying lips he whispers sweet curses of her soul-_

She shakes thethoughts away. No, his luck will work. He wouldn’t be saved by Alter Ego only to die here. She rips herself out of the garbage bag and cleans herself of trash before she sees it.

 

She didn’t think there could be a worse outcome. She was wrong. So very wrong.

 

The area had been ripped apart, trash scattered as if a tornado had come through. Spikes of ice crystalized along the walls and ceiling, with some pieces of trash still in flames and random pieces of metal and large corkscrew bullets digging into the wall and sparking with electricity. Huge claw marks were slashed into the firm titanium floor, some pieces of trash still floating slightly off the ground from small blue explosions. All of this carnage, surrounding a bouquet of five-leaved clovers left in front of a full body mirror.

* * *

Kyoko rushes to the dining hall, scaring everyone inside with her usually calm appearance now covered with filth. She walks to the table and slams her hands on it. They notice she’s visibly shaking, eyes downcast.

 

“Makoto’s shadow.” That’s all she says. They look at her for a moment, shock clearly on their faces. Then they panic.

 

“He couldn’t have a shadow. He got his persona already, he’d have to face his shadow before getting his persona!” Byakuya exclaims, bewilderment clear on his face.

 

“It’s gotta be the mastermind! They’re playin tricks on us!” Hagakure says.

 

“Ye-yeah! They’re tr-trying to m-make us p-panic!” Fukawa yells from her seat.

 

Aoi answers them quietly. “Well, we only made the assumption that once we got our persona that we wouldn’t get our shadow back...” Her voice wavers slightly at the mention of the shadow.

 

Kyoko regains her composure, looking across the room. “She’s right. The rules we made were never set in stone. He could’ve...” She doesn’t have to say what happened, they all know.

 

Byakuya stands up suddenly, briskly walking away. “I will prepare to pursue him. If I must, I will go alone. But if you wish to join me, we’ll meet at the mirror.” And with that, he exits the cafeteria.

 

Kyoko is quick to follow him. “Thirty minutes, then we go.”

 

The room cleared soon after, save for a monochrome bear laughing to themself as they waddle out the kitchen and jump onto the table. “Oh, they think this’ll be easy? Maybe he’s the person that’ll make them feel true Despair!” He laughs manically, then suddenly stops and sits down with a tired sigh. “Then I can take a break. Managing a bunch of hormone-charged teens is hard, ya know!” They lay on their back, chuckling to themself. “Upupupu, hard...” loud, obviously fake snores fill the empty room as they power off.

* * *

_‘Better looking than I expected.’_ Kyoko thinks as she looks around Makoto’s Yav. They stand in a field, bright green grass filled with all kinds of colorful flowers(including ones that don’t even grow on the ground), without an inch of darkness covering the landscape.

 

Aoi looks around, excitement on her face. “Wow, it’s so pretty!”

 

Yasuhiro nods joyfully. “Yea, maybe Naegicchi isn’t as bad off as we thought!”

 

A quick glance at Byakuya shows his obvious discomfort at the place, though upon noticing Kyoko’s stare he returns to a neutral expression. “We have no time to look around, we need to find Makoto as fast as possible.”

 

“Yea, th-this place feels off...” Toko wrings her hands, looking around with an uneasy expression.

 

Hagakure waves off Fukawa. “Ah, you guys worry too much! He’s probably perfectly fine, just look at how nice this place is, and not a shadow in sight!” He leans down to pick one of the flowers, picking up a large white rose from the ground and bringing it to eye-level with a sniff.

 

A second later, the flower starts to produce a liquid from the inside of the petals. _‘Blood.’_  Kyoko recognizes it as soon as the smell hits her. Hagakure drops it with a scream, watching it quickly decay into black as it drips like slime from his hand. A wave of unease hits them and they give the thing one last look before stepping over the pitch black puddle growing from the melted flower and continuing on.

 

The journey is dominated by silence, until they eventually come to the city’s entrance. Or at least, the cut-off road that leads into the domain. It suddenly hits her as they walk in, and she stops. She looks away from her friends gazes. From their pity.

 

“How...” She clenches her fists, grits her teeth at the mere _thought_. “How well do we actually know Makoto?” She turns back to them, a crack showing through her iron facade. They don’t have an answer.

 

Somewhere far away, a bat lets out it’s first screech into the night.

* * *

Hi Makoto!

 

Could I have a favor? It’ll just take a second!

 

Oi, bro, I gotta ask you somethin’.

 

Makoto. Come over here and help me.

 

Makoto!

 

Makoto.

 

Makoto. Makoto. Makoto. Makoto. MakotoMakotoMakotoMakotomakotomakotomakotomakoto-

 

i’m tired.let me ?J

* * *

Kyoko sheathes her war scythe onto her back, watching the others stumble out from the battle. Aoi wipes a bit of colorless blood off her arrows. “Jeez, these guys are annoying! And to think the first area was so easy.” She drops the arrows into her quiver and stands up, stretching her arms over her head. “What was that thing called again?”

 

“The Dr-Dreamcatcher.” Toko answers quickly. “It-it’s said to be a m-monster that absorbs malevolent d-dreams. By absorbing them, i-it mutilates and mutates its o-own b-body and makes it l-look like...that.” She trails off, glancing at the melting monsterous body behind them.

 

“Hey! I see em! Makoto’s just up ahead!” Yasuhiro exclaims, running forward with his persona Heh in close pursuit. They look to each other and sigh before chasing after him.

 

They find him standing in the middle of the street, staring ahead completely frozen. They fall in line beside him. He look terrified, and shakily points to...to...

 

Under the flickering light of a lamppost, Makoto stands, staring at them with hot pink eyes and an unnerving smile that sends chills down their spines. “Hey, everyone.”

 

They’re silent for a moment, before Kyoko breaks it. She takes a step forward, reaches out with a pleading look. “Makoto-“ “Stop.” He gives her a glare. She flinches back.

 

He shoves his hands in his hoodie pocket and shuffles his foot against the pavement, glancing away from her gaze. “Can you stop? Really. It’s annoying.”

 

She takes a step towards him. “What do you mean? What do we need to stop? Please, Makoto, just tell-“

 

A gunshot rings out, and she dashes back from him. A bullet lodges into the pavement where she was just a moment ago. He gives a sharp glare to the silent group, the revolver glimmering with scratches in his grasp.

 

“Just shut up.” His voice is a snarl, words drenched in venom. “It doesn’t matter, I have no say. I’m a slave to others. All I can do is condemn people to death.” He gives a painful, hollow laugh that reminds her of rattling bones. “You want to fight me. You want me to die. To disappear.” A sadistic grin spreads across his face, and his eyes glimmer. The shadows around them seem to shift and lurk closer.

 

They huddle close, horrified. “Oh god...” Aoi whispers. She stares at his shaking form, curling into himself with heavy breaths. “We...Makoto we’re so-“

 

“JUST SHUT UP!” He roars at them. He slowly unravels, eyes flaring hot pink. “Just shut up.” He starts to chuckle, before going into full laughter. “You don’t care! None of you care what happens to me! As long as I stay quiet and do your bidding, then you’ll like me! You’ll stay with me!” Within a second he calms and looks back at them, locking eyes with a frozen Kyoko. He gives a blank stare, his voice naught but a whisper that echoes deep from within their minds.

 

“Right?” The lamppost shatters into glass, leaving them in the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took for fuckin ever, eh? Sowwy uwu

"[REDACTED]?"

 

"Hm? Yes?"

 

"We're... I come with some concerns. Regarding-"

 

"I've told you this before, I'm fine. Really, you should stop worrying about me."

 

"But you've spent some much time [REDACTED]-"

 

"Yes! And that's what matters here! I'm [REDACTED] people! I'm [REDACTED] you, [REDACTED]! Do you want me to stop? To become a selfish prick like [REDACTED]?"

 

"Of course not. But I've noticed you spend an unhealthy amount of time doing such. I always hear of you listening to other people, spending time with them. But you never take any time for yourself. Hell, I've seen you skip meals just to hear others tell their problems to you. You spend so much time [REDACTED] people, that you don't [REDACTED] yourself. It's scaring us."

 

"..."

 

"[REDACTED]?"

 

"... I have to go meet up with [REDACTED] now."

 

"[REDACTED]-"

 

"SHUT IT! ... I just... I need to go."

 

"Please. Just take my-no, our words to heart, alright?"

 

"... Of course, Ki-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a fucking idiot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonlight fills the streets, a hundred pairs of eyes peering out of dark apartment windows at the group of five. They tried to backtrack, but they found the way back's changed. Now, they're surrounded by closed-off buildings with no exit. All they can do is move forward.

 

“Where...where’d he go?” Byakuya whispers in a rare moment of fear. Kyoko feels her heart breaking, but she fights off those feelings. She has to be strong. For his, and theirs sake.

 

“I don’t know.” It’s a miracle her voice is steady. She points to their navigators while looking around at the buildings for any sign of him. “Fukawa-san. Hagakura-kun. Is he nearby?” The leadership role comes easily to her. She’s thankful for that.

 

Toko’s Persona Gefjun appears behind her, its left hand lowering to show her the book. “I c-can’t see a thing!” She growls in anger, dismissing the masked goddess. Yasuhiro looks into the crystal ball floating between Heh’s hands. “Yea man, everything’s scrambled. It’s like he’s jammin' our radars or somethin'!”

 

“But how?!” Aoi exclaims, drawing her bow back and holding it at the ready as she scans the windows. “Not a single shadow has ever done something like this!”

 

“Well, guess we’re just gonna have to deal with it!” Byakuya snaps at them, sword tucked safely to his side.

 

Kyoko sighs. “Just try and-“ A glimpse of movement attracts her attention. “Look!” She points one of the apartment buildings, and sees a silhouette crouching in front of it. They drag their attention to it and watch it with a baited breath.

 

For a single moment, the entire place is quiet. Deathly still. And then, the silhouette silently stands up, staring at them with its taunting pink. The full moon hanging just above sheds moonlight on the being. On the Shadow.

 

Three sets of immensely large wings, covered with brilliant white feathers that blind the students spread from his back. Five golden wristbands hang over its wrists and ankles, the final one floating around its neck. The thing hovers slightly off the ground, its wings flourishing outward and tower over them. Its clothes and hair shift to the same pristine white as its wings within seconds. Slitted eyes glimmer within the endless dark, washed-out hazel mixing into a glowing lime green in front of their very eyes.

 

An angel. Their herald and the pure embodiment of Hope itself.

 

Then it curls, wings enveloping its body before letting out a terrible, grating screech. The wings spread to their very largest, the wind from the wings shooting them back a few feet with a chorus of yells. Kyoko swiftly gathers herself from the hard pavement beneath her, watching the truth of Naegi's mind unravel itself before them.

 

It laughs, a terrifying, growling sound. Echoing through the empty city like an owl's cry tearing through the night. The wristbands latch onto its wrisrs, eliciting an inhuman growl of pain from the being. Black blood dribbles up from the wounds into the air, each drop spreading like a web to the other. They’re helpless to watch as they form a large wall behind him. It recovers from the shock and snaps a finger, bullets flowing out of the wall and pointing directly. 

 

At. 

 

Them.

 

Makoto smiles, so innocently. Like a child playing with toys. Black ichor bubbles from his lips and drips a thin line down as it settles into his sharpened teeth. Intense dread creeps into her, and she just barely grabs Byakuya’s large blast shield and drags the trembling team behind her before-

 

_”Riot Gun._ _”_

* * *

“Makoto, please!”

 

“Stop, don’t do this!”

 

“Snap out of it!”

 

“Makoto, no!”

 

Idon’tneedyoupleasediejuststoppleasegoawayjust **STOP** -

 

He can’t take this. This misery. This pain. Why? Why did it have to be his friends? All he can do is watch as his reflection fights them and cry out in silent pain at each stab of pain as they fight him. He didn’t want this. He hates it. Hates the feeling of euphoria at this, of dominance. Power, pulsing and coursing through him as he writhes on the ground in his desperate fight against it.

 

Its wings cover his eyes, blinding him yet forcing him to watch as his friends cause his pain. Its claws dig into his numbed wrists, drawing out black ichor as golden shackles shimmer in and out of focus around the wounds. Makoto bangs his head against the ground, groaning at the pain at his back, feeling appendages writhe just underneath the skin. It's torture, endless torture.

 

But, he just has to keep holding on-

 

Naegi screams in pain as something... _rapes_ his mind, as best he could describe it. His voice still comes out as nothing however, his body long ago having given up on any movement and staying within a curled position on his side. He feels it wrapped around him, embracing him. Waiting for his acceptance. Waiting for consent.

 

It'll go so much easier if he accepts it. But he continues fighting, simply whimpering and continuing to mentally squirm as it continues to force itself upon him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"P-plea... se... hel... p..."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone answers his pleas. And he breathes.

* * *

Kyoko cuts off the last wing, but just barely. An inch too far and she would’ve missed her chance. The appendage writhes on  the ground before melting into a puddle of pristine white, its owner letting out a dreadful screech at the loss. She backs away from the being, watching as it shudders and collapses to the ground, huffing and scratching at the golden choker stabbing into his neck.

 

**“I don’t need you. I don’t need any of you.”** His voice echoes at them, a choking growl that shouldn’t belong to the thing before them. **“All being close to people does is bring me pain. I’m tired of it.”** It staggers to its feet, rubbing some more of that black blood from its mouth with the back of its sleeve.  **"TIRED OF IT!"** The thing roars, flexing out what's left of its once breath-taking wings. It turns away, collapsing back to the cold pavement with both hands tugging desperately at its hair.

 

"But if you keep dwelling on the deaths of those close to you, you can never move forward, correct?" Kyoko's words silence it, giving room for her to take a step forward and continue. "You didn't sit and wallow in the despairful wake of your friends' deaths, did you?" She earns a slow, hesitant nod. "You kept moving forward, carrying their wills in your heart."

 

She crouches down in front of it, a ghost of a smile on her face. The once-angelic figure stares on, eyes wide and fearful. Yet it barely reacts when she places a hand upon its icy shoulder. "You know they wouldn't have wanted you to do this, right?"

 

The being doesn't need to answer. Simply gazes past her, at something else.

 

Makoto puts a hand on her shoulder. "I can take it from here, Kirigiri-san." The Detective nods, getting up and going back to the group without another word. “Let’s give him some time alone.” The others nod in silence, too weary to argue.

 

Makoto watches them leave, lingering on their backs as they walk.  **“You’re...an idiot, you know that?”** He glances to the shadow, watching it get up with a little less of a wobble.  **“They betrayed us. Left us to die. Yet, you forgive them.”**

 

The luckster laughs. A relaxed sound that fills the still air. “Shouldn’t I know me?” They glance to each other a moment, a sliver of their fatigue shared between them. “It’s in the past now, it doesn’t matter.” The feeling becomes clear in his voice, but not the kind that can be wiped away within a single night. It's a tight ball he’s kept close to his heart, unraveling it slowly.

 

 ** “It still does. You still resent them.  Hate them.” ** There’s a familiar gleam resurfacing in his eyes. Makoto can practically taste the growl when he refers to them.

 

He stands his ground. “Well, maybe I still do. Maybe I still... dislike them for it." He looks away from the shadow’s expectant stare. “But that resentment will go away, in time. I understand why they did it. To be honest, I would’ve done it myself.” He locks eyes with the other, hot pink now meeting blazing green.

 

The reflection sighs, shoving its hands into its pockets.  **“Hey. I have a favor to ask.”**

 

Naegi hums. “What is it?”

 

A moment of silence, and Makoto can feel their bond resurface, bursting from its cocoon and joining him once again. The feeling is tantalizing, a calm thrill that washes over him. The shadow grins, and he can just barely catch the whisper as the world falls into shards around them.

 

** “Tell her. . ." **

* * *

Makoto's the last to exit the mirror, appearance changing to a more rough look. Very fitting for if he had just fallen down and stayed in the dump for a day or two.

 

Everyone takes a step back from him, some covering their nose. "You _might_ wanna go get a shower, Naegicchi."

 

The luckster scratches his cheek, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, I was planning to do that."

 

Kyoko's already walked over to the ladder out of the trash, looking to him. "Make it quick then. We have something else to do."

 

"Hm?" Togami steps forward, an eyebrow raised. "And what would that happen to be?"

 

Naegi steps past them, hanging off the ladder a few steps up and looking across the group. "We have a mastermind to challenge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is noticeably outdated, considering a lot of this has been overwritten recently. You can also notice I still don't know how to end fics h

**Author's Note:**

> So here’s the concept of Makoto’s Yav! It might not quite make sense, but it’ll be explained in the future! This is also prone to changing a lot, so don’t consider this fully canon.


End file.
